The Eyes of a Monster
by SilyaBeeodess
Summary: (Just a lil' something for Halloween) It has been many years since the rise and fall of the Millennium Organization. Many have passed on, but Alucard still remains, wandering the Earth, searching for a new purpose to his eternal soul. When a new breed of vampire reveals itself, the Count is more than willing to face them. No mercy will be shown to this new evil. (There is gore!)
1. Chapter 1

_((__Author's note__: It's nearing Halloween and I got hooked on the Manga. Figured, "why not"? Besides, I had this idea in ever since I saw it- a couple days ago- and I need to get at least the first chapter done so I won't drive myself nuts. Let me know if you want this to be continued, and yes; there will be a main girl character coming up in the next chapter, only she won't be presented in the story as strongly as some of my other OC characters in other fanfictions. This is Alucard's adventure.)) _

_**The Bird of Hermes is my name, eating my wings to make me tame…**_

The man moved like a shadow across the billowing fields, silent and darkened against the night sky. Fog blanketed the air, shrouding what would be iridescent moonlight. The beams that did pass through, cast a glare against his Victorian charcoal suit and red frock overcoat. The air was cold and moist against his face, which mattered little.

Had it been another time, this would truly be a perfect night.

It had been years, many, many years, since the Millennium Organization had been put to a final end, destroyed by Alucard himself and his allies. The only person he felt could bring about his own much asked for end, Anderson, was dead. His friend turned traitor, Walter, was dead. Even the mistress herself, Integra, was dead as well, age finally having claimed her. Rumors stated that his former fledgling, Seras, now ran Hellsing Organization, backed by the remaining members of the Wild Geese mercenary band. Good for her.

He had served Integra as a humble servant until the end, and with no offspring to carry on her family's legacy, was now free. _Free_, the very thought of that word made him chuckle. Condemned to wander aimlessly for the rest of eternity would be a more proper statement. Death seemed unlikely to befall him and nothing worth interest ever came up anymore. The occasional thug might approach him, but they never put up any sport.

Who would've thought a purpose would be such a difficult thing to acquire.

Unless crisis arose, he would not return to Hellsing. He was no longer needed there and he refused to bid anymore time locked away in the headquarters' basement. No, he at least required the open sky and air if he was to think at all about what the future requested of him next. However, in the events of the Night's creatures revealing themselves, who was he to back down from a good fight? After all, the role of an unstable, if not deranged and psychotic, vigilante seemed to suit him well enough.

The wind began to pick up slowly and Alucard paused in his tracks, looking up at a cloudy, brilliant sky. Bright red eyes behind their glass barriers closed peacefully and an absent grin crept on his face. He removed his wide, floppy brim, red fedora, allowing the zephyr to tease at his short, jet black hair. It effects began to lull him into a feeling of rest.

"Excuse me?" asked a soft voice, bringing him out of his meditations.

Alucard's eyes shot open and he looked down to find a young woman standing about ten meters away from him. He hadn't even noticed her approach, which was odd in his case. She was a lovely creature; fair skinned, with bleach blonde hair and shocking blue-violet eyes, and then a curved, slender form to back everything with. She wore a grey turtle neck and a long, dark purple skirt. By the way she kept glancing at her feet and twiddled her fingers, it could be safe to assume she was very shy and meek; however, Alucard's instinct told him otherwise.

"I'm sorry, but I think my car broke down on the road and there wasn't anyone in sight. I left it looking for some help, but I haven't spotted any houses, and my home is a ways away from here. Do you think you could be a gentlemen and help, please?" she asked, her eyes pleading.

Alucard kept his face blank. There wasn't a real road for a good ways away by human standards. Being mainly farmland, most of this area had gravel and dirt paths. "I can't help you," he pointed northeast, "The nearest town's that way, about an hour and a half journey on foot." He decided to leave then and there, and began walking right past her.

Suddenly, she gripped his gloved hand and gently pulled back, he turned back to look at her sharply. Now her face portrayed hints of fear, along with well hidden exasperation. "Can you take me there then? Please, it's so dark and I'm frightened. You can't just leave a lady all alone like this."

"Then you should have stayed with your car until daybreak," he pulled his hand out of her grasp and continued walking without sparing her a glance. The next thing he knew, she had yanked his hat out of his other hand and was waving it playfully in front of him. He clenched his teeth. "Don't you know it's unwise to talk to strangers, girl?" he asked rhetorically, beginning to lose his patience as he reached out to snatch back his fedora.

Surprisingly, he missed, as the woman quickly moved it away from his reach, a small giggle passing her full lips. Apparently, since the shy and fragile bit hadn't been working for her, she was trying a slightly more confident, energetic, feminine approach. With a slight blush, holding the hat loosely between two fingers and lowering her head closer to one shoulder, she said, "How about a deal? You help me, and you can have this back?" She placed it on top of her head and batted her lashes.

"No," Alucard said flatly. Then, using his vampiric speed to his advantage, darted toward her, taking his hat back, placing it back on his person, and standing behind her before she could blink. He began walking away again.

Something gripped his arm more tightly this time. Ten sharp digits made good use of digging themselves into his pale skin, causing blood to pour out. When he turned around this time, what he saw, admittedly, stunned him.

The woman's gentle appearance had dramatically changed into a ravenous state. Her once kind smile had turned into a hungry, savage maw, lined with sharp teeth he failed to notice until now. The most striking feature, however, was her eyes. One remained that vivid shade of blue-violet. The other was a bloody, burning red; a trait only a true vampire could carry.

"I've dealt with men like you before. Strong, handsome, incorruptible," she stated seductively, "but like the others too, you will fall. And to think I thought tonight's catch would be boring." The woman began to pull him closer with one hand and raised the other to strike at his chest.

Quickly, Alucard pulled himself free from her grip with extreme ease, the cuts almost instantly starting to heal themselves. He swiftly brought one leg around and tripped her, making her fall flat on her face.

With a low hiss, the woman turned around on the earth to face him, her fangs bared in hatred. "Insolent human filth!" she screeched, then lunged for him again. Alucard easily managed to dodge her, and once he had, he drew out the Jackal, a massive combat pistol with a black gunmetal construction, and fired right where her spine ended.

The woman fell was a demonic shriek, bone splinters and blood bursting from the wound as the bullet struck home. Alucard noted that her body was trying to heal and regenerate, although much more slowly compared to how his own would. She flipped herself over a second time and honed in on him, unwilling to relent, her hand shot out to attack again.

It froze in mid-air as Alucard began manipulating the shadows around him and flashed his own fangs at her in an insane-looking smile, giving him a beyond terrifying appearance. If she believed him to be merely human, than he needed to prove to her how very wrong she was.

Her hand dropped to the grass and she balled it into a fist. "What are you?" she nearly growled, confusion and tension swelling up in her.

Alucard allowed his glasses to slip down his nose some, revealing to her his twin red eyes as he laughed evilly, "I thought you would know a true vampire when you saw one. How foolish can you be?"

His words were not needed to inform her of that. The moment she caught his gaze, pure fear and shock registered clean on her face. Alucard made another harsh round of laughter as she began shuffling away from him on her back. Then turned around in attempt to crawl and regain her footing. The woman kept muttering over and over, her panic making the sentences almost unintelligible, "No, please, no, NO! Only she is. You lie! Only she is. Nonononono NO!"

It was entertaining to see how her demeanor had rapidly changed after this new revelation. Alucard swiftly grabbed her by the back of her shirt and pulled her closer to him. "The question is what are _you_?" He gnashed his fangs in front of her, making her skin turn colder and paler than should've been possible. She trembled in his steel-like grip. He could practically hear her heart pounding, which sent a surge of hunger to his gut. If she was a vampire, how could it still beat?

There was no response from the seducing woman. Very well, he had other ways to gather information. "If you won't give me answers, your blood will," he whispered sadistically, sending his prey into a frenzy to break free and all attempts to plead for life falling on deaf ears.

He bit into her throat. The turtleneck was soon becoming soaked in crimson as he drank. The woman's cries fell silent as her struggles became weaker. Her memories and knowledge poured into Alucard's mind as he feasted. There were multiple breaks and pauses in them soon enough though, once the woman got enough of a grip to use her powers in order to stop him from finding out what he wanted. Only when the body went limp did he release. The corpse fell at his feet with a despairing _thump_.

Brushing away what blood was on his mouth, Alucard examined the corpse with a raised eyebrow. The woman's fangs had retracted, seemingly human like earlier. Working on a hunch, he bent down and lifted her eyelids.

As guessed, the one had returned to that startling blue-violet.

Alucard left the corpse there to broadcast a warning, just in case she had "friends" who were like herself. He moved on as if nothing had happened, mulling other what information he had claimed. Most of it had been of the women's past at an early age in development, not worth thinking about, but the other parts he did catch…

Those were _very _interesting indeed.

For starters, the fact that whatever fool she caught to feed on wasn't for herself, meaning there was more than one of her kind roaming around, causing havoc. The person she served was female, a true vampire like himself. How strong, he didn't know, but she was one the girl didn't wish to displease in the slightest.

The most remarkable thing though, was that the now dead woman was a hybrid.

That was Alucard's first time facing one. How long had they been in existence without anyone knowing it? At least they were smart enough to stay hidden, even if they didn't believe there was another, pure blooded vampire other than their master. Alucard relished the thought of sending them scurrying back to whatever hole they crawled out of after showing them his absolute potential.

Unlike him, however, they didn't seem keen on sharing knowledge of who they were and what they were capable of. That would make this new challenge all the more sporting though, so he didn't worry about it.

_Yes._

This was the kind of opportunity he had been hoping for.

He still had work to do.

There might still be another worthy adversary left to be faced.


	2. Chapter 2

Alaina walked cautionatly, as to not make a sound on the cobblestone sidewalks. In less than a week, the small town of Burrgale had become infested with detectives and reporters alike. However, the city was eerily silent tonight; all civilians sent to their homes while a thorough search went underway.

The reason for her arrival to Burrgale started out when a group of four to five local gang members had mysteriously come up dead, found in a back alleyway, their corpses ripped to shreds as if a pack of wolves had attacked them. Things like that just didn't happen around here- from what the mayor had to say- so it came as a shock. However, with the gang wanted for serious crimes to begin with, the town's police force hadn't looked into the case very carefully.

Then, when a pedestrian was found dead, in a cattle field in the outskirts, people started to worry. No one had claimed the body, so not a name could be placed of the dead woman's face. How would anyone be able to tell who she was anyway? From what was said of the photographs taken at the crime scene, it was next to impossible to make out any features at all on her bloodied form. Only a bullet shell confirmed it was caused by a human.

Her SWAT team, along with several others, were then sent here not long after the body was found. A mass murderer was on the loose, more than likely a terrorist. There would be no hesitation if he or she was found; they were to shoot to kill.

The disadvantage of not knowing who they were after weighed heavily on them though.

"Yo, 'Laina, you found anything yet? Over," burst her walkie-talkie through static, the sudden noise piercing the silence, nearly causing her to fire her gun in surprise.

Annoyed at her own jumpiness, she yanked the device off of her belt and whispered harshly into it, "Dang it, Stanley! What the heck? You almost gave me a heart attack with that little stunt!" Her shining lime green eyes glared sourly, but were still alert to her surroundings.

She could hear laughter coming from the other end. "Sorry, 'bout that. Anyway, we're to rendezvous at the corner of Livington Boulevard and Second Street in all seems clear. Don't ask why, I'm just repeatin' orders."

"Copy that. I'll be right there. Alaina out." She hooked the horrible thing back to her side and moved onward to her destination, thankfully without running into any trouble.

When Stanley saw her, he waved he over. Both were suited in their uniforms, including their helmets, and practically armed to the teeth. The only difference between their styles was that Alaina choose not to wear her cloth mask; an unbearable thing that itched her to death. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, with two shorter, loose sections framing her face, curling on the ends.

"Any reason why we've been called to this heap of rubble?" she asked, referring to the structure before them; an old-fashioned, abandoned factory scheduled for demolition any day now.

"A man checked in half an hour ago, after reportin' that he saw someone go in there through the back. Said he called after him, but the suspect ignored him. He followed the suspect inside and hasn't reported back since."

"So we're guessing our killer is…"

"Waitin' inside, yes."

Alaina looked up at the building, frowning. She might still be a rookie on the team, but she was smart enough to put a few things together. "There's been no attempt at escape?"

"Not that we know of, no."

"Strange…You'd think he'd notice us by now and run."

In response, Stanley just shrugged.

A new voice sent them silent. It was that of one of the squad leaders. "Men, listen up. We just received orders from base. We're to enter the building, two squads at a time. Block off all exits and surround compound once you're in your assigned areas." He then began to read off which and where squads would be placed.

For a moment, Alaina mulled over whose orders they were following. A new face had shown up among her superiors, by the name of Makube; a noble-looking man with well groomed, short, silvery white hair and light brown eyes. Many up the ranks seemed to respect him, but something was off about the man that she couldn't place. She just felt it the moment she saw him.

Teams began forming up, snapping her out of thought. She hurriedly got with the rest of her squad. They would be taking the first floor at the front entrance.

The squad leaders took control from there, voicing to one another once they were in position and when they could move on. It was slow going at first, but the tenseness of the moment sent them on edge. Finally, that changed.

"This is squad 439, reporting in. We have spotted movement on the second floor in the southern most corridor. We'll check it out. Over," said the walkie-talkies in unison.

Not even one minute later they spoke again, "We've found the missing man's body. Repeat; we've found the missing man's body…We can't make out what weapon did this to him, but it ain't pretty." Evil laughter sounded in the background, followed by a couple voices cursing under their breath. Alaina heard a man ask coldly, "What the heck was that?"

The man's question was answered as a voice that sounded like no man she had ever heard said cruelly, "Death calling." Through the static, multiple gun shots and screams of the dying could be heard, along with that maddened laughter. Every person on her own squad was still, numb from shock by what they were hearing.

All at once, there was silence.

It took about five minutes for them to get moving again, and when they did, they whipped up the nearest flight of stairs and headed to where squad 439 had been. Her squad leader spoke into his walkie-talkie, alerting that they were headed after the hostile and required back up from the others.

Some slipped and fell to a stop, and others came to a sudden halt. Many had repulsed looks on their masked faces. Those that weren't were frozen in their disbelief at the scene before them.

Blood drenched the floor in large pools. Mutilated bodies of officers littered area. Shredded bits of skin covered the floor like confetti and tissue paper.

Something moved in the corner of Alaina's eye. Looking down to the end of the corridor, the team saw a single, whole body on his hands and knees, licking at one of the pools. The being's eyes met hers for a moment as he looked up; their blood red color turning her own blood to ice.

Whatever sound there was, was muffled to her by her fear. The rest of the team opened fire on the man, while she herself only followed what orders her mind was giving her.

_Get away! Get away! Get away!_

She had seen enough nightmares like this to be smart enough to know when to run.

Her abdomen came in contact with something solid and thin; a metal railing. Her speed and impact was enough to send her toppling over it and landing hard on some conveyer belt on the floor below. She didn't even take time to thank God for her well-padded outfit as she dashed behind a stack of crates by the far off wall, shutting her eyes tightly and covering her ears, as if that would save her from this.

Alucard attacked the officers with wicked glee. Although they weren't very good opponents, it had been a long time since he had had the chance to create a slaughterhouse like this. He would drink well tonight.

Wave upon wave of foolish SWAT officers came, unknowing of what horror awaited them until it was too late. He was glad when at one point he finally resorted to using his two pistols to finish them off as their numbers increased. Blood exploded on the walls and floor, further adding to the pools, fusing them together. In the dim lighting, it even could very well be confused as a crimson carpet.

Only when the majority of them were decimated did three officers make the decision to retreat. He casually followed them, in no hurry at all. Using his telekinesis ability, he tripped one of them and pulled him by the ankle, dragging the frantic human across the cold ground ominously.

At first the other two tried desperately to pull their comrade back by his arms- without success- and when dragged along with him. In fright, they released and abandoned him, ignoring his cries for help as they raced down the stairs to the lower level. Alucard was soon upon the one left behind.

"Pl-please…Have-have mercy!" begged the forgotten officer, his body shaking with terror.

"Mercy?" Alucard asked sadistically, bending down to stare him in the eye, "Have you ever known a monster to show mercy, soldier?" The officer's scream tore through the air as Alucard ripped him throat out with one sweep of his bare hands.

The two surviving men scrambled away to make it to the exit. A shot came from behind, striking one of them in the back of the head and causing it to explode by the effects of the bullets. His partner could only stand there as tiny chunks of the dead man's blown apart brain landed on his boots. He heard laughter sounding from his left and watched in horror as his assailant glided down the steps of the stairs, grinning at him with that killer's gaze.

Something inside him gave up and shut down, and he fell to his knees with the thud, staring at Alucard, his mouth dropped open.

Only two things registered as death took him; the sharp tearing at his neck as the vampire bit into him, sucking his life away, and the sight of a full moon, coming from a hole in the ceiling.

Alucard hated that the man's will to live had broken so easily; he was just starting to enjoy himself. He took his time, draining the blood from his new victim. When his ears registered the sound of breathing behind him, however, he questioned what was missing from the situation.

_Oh, yes, the one that ran away, _he thought passively, _I almost forgot about that one._ With the corpse still in his mouth, he turned around and examined the area. He couldn't spot her balled up form at first and mentally congratulated her on at least finding a good hiding spot since she didn't put up a chase.

Alaina heard the sound of sinister footsteps coming in her direction, but didn't dare open her eyes. Then, they stopped all of a sudden.

She waited one, two, three minutes to feel something pierce her heart, or gruffly pull her out of her corner just to rip her arms and legs off…but there was nothing. She risked opening her eyes, and immediately wished she hadn't.

Alucard stared down at her, looming over her devilishly. As if sealing her death sentence, he allowed the corpse to slip from his mouth and land not even a few inches in front of her. His mouth trickled with his prey's blood as he said solemnly, "Found you."

The person standing threateningly above her, the danger of the circumstances, the darkness that added to the already haunting setting, the smell of death that assaulted all of her senses…all of it was almost overwhelming. It took all of her self-control to stay sane.

Summoning up a small reserve of courage, she pointed her gun up at him. Her voice nearly betrayed her, "Stay. Back!"

Chuckling, Alucard only took a step closer to the human at his feet, "And what are you going to do about it, my dear? Your friends couldn't stop me…" he placed two gloved fingers under her chin, letting what blood was on them flow down her neck, "and neither can you." He made his chest an easier target for her. "Go on, shoot! Fire! Give me your best shot, officer!"

She did not dare attempt to pull the trigger. Her defiant eyes remained focused on his for the longest time, and then he saw her attention stray elsewhere, behind him. He stood up, following her gaze. He was met with a blessed dagger to the chest.

"Hello, Alucard," greeted Makube calmly, dressed as pristine as ever, a deep contrast with the scene around him, "Long time no see."

Pulling out the dagger with ease and already regenerating at the wound, Alucard suddenly tossed it through Alaina's foot, sticking it to the ground. She muffled a cry of pain as he ordered, "Stay."

"Makube," Alucard said, nodding to him, "don't you have some papers to file? I thought you would be busy running the Iscariot Organization."

"Oh, believe me; I have much work to return to after this little visit. I just noticed the reports of a trail of onslaught- only petty criminals, I might add- and noted your handiwork," he smirked insanely, "Although, I must admit, I was surprised to find that you had killed an innocent bystander. That was you, wasn't it?"

"I have my own reasons for that creature's death, Makube. Skip to the point."

"Always one to skip the pleasantries, aren't we? I'm here for the same reason the Iscariot Organization has always tracked you for," he pulled another dagger out, "To bring you down." He looked around, as if noticing the surrounding carnage for the first time. "I see you enjoyed my little pre-show entertainment. Now, I know what you're thinking, but how else was I supposed to keep you around long enough?"

"What?" inquired a voice that was neither his nor Alucard's. The men looked to find Alaina had yanked the dagger out of her foot and grasped it in one hand. She didn't seem all there, like something else was fighting for her attention. Glancing down, Alucard noted there wasn't near as much blood as there should have been around her wound.

"You p_lanned_ this?" she finally shrieked, rage getting the better of her judgment. "Why…_you!…"_

She couldn't even finish her insult as anger took control, overpowering her other emotions and her mind as well.

Fangs jutted in place of her normal teeth. One eye turned blood red. Her muscles tensed in fury. _Another one, _thought Alucard happily, _well, am I lucky today._

Screaming, she jumped forward. Alucard moved in time to get out of her way. It seemed that the real show was just beginning.

Her change had come as a shock to Makube. He thankfully got over it enough to fling his dagger at her. It stuck into her shoulder, making it bleed magnificently due to it being a blessed weapon. However, she seemed to heal better than her bleach blonde counterpart, and the wound patched up quickly. Still slower than Alucard's own, or even how Seras' might, but quick enough to stop any real damage.

Makube then threw a much larger blade, striking the girl in the stomach and pinning her to the wall. She thrashed around for a second, blood pouring out of the wound and drizzling out of her mouth some, before she collected her bearings enough to yank it free. That wound healed as well.

"Alucard, what is she?" Makube demanded at him. He had prepared to fight the vampire before him, nothing like this.

"Do not look at me for all of the answers. I've only recently found of their existence myself. She's what her own kind calls a hybrid; a perfect split of vampire and human genes."

Alaina paid no attention to what they were saying. They could've very well been talking in another language and she wouldn't have known in her rage. Makube wasn't watching her as she freed herself.

That would be his last mistake.

She lunged at him and drove the dagger she held home; right in his heart. Her thought gone, she continued slashing and stabbing until she could tell the body had stopped moving completely.

With her opponent defeated, her conscience shrank back. _What had she done?_

Alaina stood up and backed away a couple steps, her clothing covered in blood. Her back pressed against something soft, cloth-like really.

"Well done." Alucard complemented, right behind her, "Now," he drew one of his pistols, "ready to face a real monster, my dear?"

"Monster?" she chortled, still not in her right mind, "You don't even know what a real monster is like..." After half a minute, she finally came to realize who she was speaking to and what she had said. She turned around slowly, calming down enough that she was returning back to normal.

Something hit her hard across the face. Her nose bled as she fell back, falling in a heap, right over Makube's torn apart corpse. Alaina looked up, but everything seemed to be a blur.

"Nighty-night," said Alucard, kicking her hard in the face.

The blurry world faded to utter darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

When Alaina opened her eyes, the blood had already dried, sticking to her skin and clothing. The world swam into view, revealing a large, dark, stone chamber with thick metal bars in place of what would've been a fourth wall. Beyond them was a long hallway with a few pieces of dusty, old furniture. At the end of it, a large cross was hung up on the fall, a staircase leading up to who-knows-where on the right side of it. In the chamber itself were cobwebs, rat droppings, broken bits of metal that once belonged to chains, and small shards of bone that she didn't want to question what creatures they belonged to. It was freezing and the only light source she could see came from a single, lit candle resting on top of a worn table in the hall.

_Is this what death is like? _Alaina though worriedly, _Is this where people go before judgment?_

"No, you're not dead, my dear," came an all too familiar voice, as if reading her thoughts. She looked back down the hall to see Alucard emerge from the stairwell, approaching her cell with a chilling kind of grace. "But if I were you, I wouldn't exactly call myself lucky for being needed alive either." Without even pausing in his stride, he faded through the bars and stopped right in front of her.

"What is this place?" was all she could ask next.

"Back in the days of the Protestant Reformation, many who did not obey the laws of the Catholic Church were taken and tortured to death for their disloyalty. This is one such place where their prisoners were kept," he then gestured above, without missing a beat, "Above us is where the actual church is, although it's long been abandoned due to its age." That quelled any hopes Alaina had of calling for help. As if confirming it, he continued, "Even if by the slight chance a person did enter the church, they would not hear you. This area is too far underground and the door to the staircase is thick and well hidden as well."

There was a moment of silence, as they stared at one another. Alucard had been expecting her to say something, but when there was no reply he switched topics, "In case you haven't figured it out by now, I am a true vampire. And I know you're a hybrid, girl, and as of now, I've made it my goal to exterminate every last one of you insects off the face of the earth. If you wish for the last moments of your life to go by pleasantly, I suggest you do everything I say without question. Understand?" he allowed her to absorb this for a second, "Things didn't turn out so well for the bleach blonde hybrid I ran into." Alaina's mouth dropped in shocked expression was very entertaining to him. "She was a fighter, but not very powerful. A pretty thing though, with those blue-violet eyes."

"…You killed Polaris?..." Alaina's voice drifted, matching her dumbfounded and horrified look.

"Was that her name? Hmm, I don't think she ever did tell me it. Why? Did that sound like her?" Alucard said, toying with the girl.

There was no form of despair or sadness on Alaina's face, just pure shock. Finally, she asked, "What do you want from me?"

Alucard took one pistol, this time one without explosive rounds. While doing so, he stared at her, noting how her eyes took in every movement he made, "Answers." He fired one bullet into her arm. Alaina screamed as the bullet tore through muscle, but quickly bit down her lip to hold the rest of it in and glared up at him. "For starters, you're going to tell me everything you can about you hybrids, or else I'll be forced to resort to my own experiments."

He watched as the wound healed, but also saw her fight back a few tears. Apparently, hybrids weren't as resistant to average weapons as pure-blooded vampires. That also probably meant it was the exact opposite for holy weapons and other things deadly to the latter.

"Since it's already daybreak, perhaps we should see how well your kind handles sunlight," Alucard said, already grabbing her by her shirt collar in order to drag her out.

Whether that little 'experiment' would result in pain or not, Alaina still couldn't see a positive outcome to being dragged upstairs. If she didn't writhe and burn in anguish, he'd surely find another method so she would. Any attempt at escape while he was nearby would more than likely make her wish she _was_ dead.

"It doesn't hurt much," she said, almost tripping over her words, "It used to, when I was a child, but you get used to it. It's nothing, but a nuisance now."

Alucard let her go suddenly. If it weren't for her still wearing her helmet, she would've hit the back of her head on the floor. He smirked, "It's good to know you're not a complete idiot." She also answered another question for him; whether or not they were born this way or if their DNA had been altered. "Tell me, how old are you?" She looked around eighteen to twenty.

The change of topic stunned her for a minute, but a kick in the side warned her that he was being serious. "Twenty-seven," she answered.

"You're still practically a child then, in our case. When did you stop growing?"

"When I was around seventeen or eighteen, I guess."

_That must be when their more vampiric side takes over,_ Alucard assumed. There wasn't much more of a logical answer. Then again, with these kinds of things involved, there hardly ever was one. _Their growth and aging process stops once they've fully matured._

He turned away, fading once more through the bars, without another word. He was exhausted and had his coffin waiting for him upstairs. "I'm going to bed," Alucard called out to Alaina as he began heading up the hall, "I don't know what your sleeping patterns are, but I happen to feel better at night."

He turned around when he was half way through the hall, "By the way, you didn't seem all too upset when I mentioned the other hybrid maggot. So what made the girl, Polaris, so special?"

That question caught her off guard, but Alaina shook it off and shrugged, curling her knees up to her chest and staring at the ground, "She was always one of the favorites..."

Alucard continued walking, "I would recommend you try to get some rest, because once I do come back down, it's going to be a long night for you." As he reached the steps, he gave her a cruel mile, "However, this will be more than amusing for me." He left, his laughter echoing off of the stone and back to Alaina's ears.

Her imagination betrayed her as she envisioned what might happen in the awaiting hours to come. How was she supposed to sleep with that on her mind? That might have been what her capture had planned when he had told her it would be a long night.

_You deserve it,_ whispered a voice in the back of her mind.

Alaina's stomach growled at her. Now she was beginning to regret only eating a couple biscuits and a bottle of water for dinner last night. Being a hybrid, she could survive on both blood and regular food. On the down side though, she also remained hungrier than most other vampires because of this. Her systems wouldn't go into any sort of method of hibernation to store that energy.

She began to itch and looked to a large patch of dried blood on one arm. For a moment, she just stared at it. Peeling off a black glove, she started scratching it with one nail.

_((__Authors Note:__ Yes; that was a short chapter, but that's because there was some big things going on in the last two and we're gearing up for another fight scene and some other big things in the upcoming chapter._

_Quick question; what do you guys think of Alaina? Is she ok? What do you all think of her character? Or is there not enough about her to judge quite just yet? Just asking to kind of get some feedback since she's an OC.))_


	4. Chapter 4

Alucard's eyes snapped open only for him to face the top of his coffin. He felt refreshed even after just a short rest, and his mind immediately went to the task at hand. He opened the coffin with a gentle push and stepped out, his hand moving to clasp his coat that was draped beside it. He shrugged it on, leaving his hat and glasses there, as he moved out of the nave to the door that led downstairs. The constructors had built it so it seemed to be part of the wall. The nave's pews were covered with dust, cracks mixing in with the intricate designs on the wood.

He moved down the stairwell slowly. Not for any need of silence, but because he could faintly hear a voice coming from below. No one could've gotten past him, and even if, by some miracle, they had, there should have been no way possible for them to have found the lower level. Even he only knew about it from having to free a member from the early days of the Hellsing Organization many years ago. As he got closer, he began to make out what was being said…or rather, sung, in a sweet, yet almost shaky voice.

"…_In tears our last farewell was taken,_

_And nos in tears we meet again,_

_Yet even then,_

_While peace was singing,_

_Her halcyon o'er land and sea…"_

It was an Irish folk song; at least two hundred fifty to three hundred years old. _Written by Thomas Moore_, Alucard thought, although he couldn't remember where he heard that from or why he knew it. He paused on the last steps, hiding in the shadows, waiting for Alaina to finish.

"…_Or how shall I, who love, who bless thee,_

_Invoke thy breath for freedom's strains,_

_When e'en the wreaths in which I dress thee,_

_Are sadly mixed, half flours, half chains."_

He waited, but that was it. Not wanting her to think he had been there the whole time, he stayed in the same spot for about five minutes, and then began walking down to Alaina's cell. She didn't seem to notice him approaching at first, and when he glanced her over, she seemed a little…unstable. Her hands were fastened to her upper arms, her nails digging into the cloth. It looked like she was either trying to keep warm or trying to pull herself together.

Instead of fading through, he pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the cell, then Alucard gripped Alaina tightly by her wrist and began hauling her upstairs. "Let's go," he said bitterly.

The rest of the night consisted of an intensive interrogation- with little to no decent information gained- and round after round of torture. This included slowly impaling her through her shoulders, with small stakes taken from broken furniture.

She tried not to scream, she really did, but often a few shrieks of pain would burst from her. And she was punished for her weakness as well.

After hours, Alucard practically had to drag her back to her cell, tossing her in with little concern and despising her for her fatigue and terror, although she had gained a little of his respect for her strong will. He spun on one heel and began to head back upstairs, promising more pain later on. He heard the _thump_ that signaled Alaina had fallen heavily on the floor, her body tired and abused, her mind the only thing keeping her from caving in. Even with her regeneration ability, it did nothing to take away her weariness.

He had just come through the door and sealed it shut when he heard a voice sneer above him, "Finally, you're back. We were beginning to think you'd disappeared. Dunstan," the voice called out, "It seems I owe you dinner; your sense hasn't failed us…yet." Looking up to the high, worn out rafters, Alucard spotted three figures. They all appeared about the same age; early twenties. A girl- the one that had called out- had short and curly black hair tinted green, a navy eye, and wore a dark emerald Lolita dress with knee-high black socks and Mary Jane shoes. She also wore a matching collar around her neck and clasped a shiny, coal black flute in one hand. The designs of the flute were ancient-looking, and the symbol of witchcraft was clearly engraved in the middle of its shaft.

The other two were a pair of young men, each with a sturdy, strong build. The one referred to as Dunstan wore an Aussie slouch hat- making it hard to see the close-shaven ashen blonde hair underneath, a solid white tank, and denim jeans with work boots. One eye was a pale greyish-blue. The second male had a hazel eye, and wore black dress shoes, a plaid sweater vest over a black shirt, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and slacks. His light brown hair was well-groomed and he had a small beard coming along.

All three of them were extremely beautiful and handsome. All three of them were also hybrids, currently in their vampiric state.

The girl hopped down, landing gracefully, followed by the other two. She was the first to speak up, pointing to the hidden door behind Alucard, "Is that where you're keeping the little brat?"

For a moment- although he didn't show it- Alucard was confused at the insult given to Alaina. These were members of her own kind. What had she done to earn their resentment?

"You may as well stop playing stupid," she continued, "We know you killed Polaris- not that she was much of anything anyway- and we know your keeping Alaina here. So the question is how much has that sad excuse for a leech told you about us?" Her words were full of hate. Whether or not they were directed to Alucard or his prisoner, he couldn't tell. It was probably for both of them though.

"First things first; how did you find her?" Alucard asked calmly, grinning at the girl's question in order to keep up the masquerade of him having any solid knowledge about them. He could probably ring out more information if he played this right.

"It wasn't all too hard. Mother keeps track of all her children. You should know of that telepathic connection, vampire." The girl smirked, "Yes; she's told us about you too."

The well-groomed male butted in, "Reine, I'd be careful what I said around this one. Although, he doesn't look quite like what Mother described."

"Shut up, Nogah! I know what I'm doing!" growled Reine before returning her attention back to Alucard, who kept a cocky grin on his face, confident in himself, "Alright, where's sister dear?"

"You mean that pile of blood and gore? I believe I left it downstairs, lying in a corner," Alucard stated impassively. He wanted to have them think Alaina was dead, so their attention would be on him. "You wasted your time, coming here to salvage what's left of her ruined form."

The trio laughed evilly, "That's fine, we'll just take the corpse. We've been in the mood for a late-night bite anyway," said Dunstan. When there was no reply, he smirked, "What? Do you really think we'd come all this way to _save _that runt? Even when in our hunting pack, she never did catch much to come home with. Not the toughest thing either. Heck, the only reason she lived this long was because Mother was waiting for the right time to kill her. Not much use in her if she can't hunt like the rest of us. Kinda sad, if you ask me; sis was a pretty thing and could've reined a bunch of idiot human males in for the kill." he frowned, "Then the little brat had to go ahead and ditch us, just before it was time. To her credit, she did manage to bring a few good meals in later on though."

"Yeah, when rigor had already set in," Reine muttered.

"So, you're just planning on taking it and being on your way?" Alucard asked, raising a brow and grinning.

"Oh, no, you murdered Polaris; not much of a killer, but still one of our best lures and huntresses. So now," Each got into a fighting stance, teeth bared, "Mother wants your head as well."

Alucard laughed, "If she was one of your best, I shudder to think of what you three are capable of." He pulled out both his pistols.

It was Dunstan that made the first move, pulling a whip of the same design and color as the Reine's flute from his belt. He used it to quickly the Casull out of Alucard's grasp and sent it flying to the other end of the church.

Nogah pulled out something from his pocket; small array of sewing needles attached to a glimmering black thread. These also had the symbol of witchcraft on them. With a delicate flick of his hand, he sent them flying at Alucard. They pierced his chest and came right out the other side, sticking into the wall. Alucard tried to faze through them but couldn't escape, no doubt whatever black magic was used to craft them was at work.

_Very well, looks like this fight just got more interesting, _Alucard thought wickedly, that insane smile he normally possessed when finding an entertaining fight creeping upon his face.

Alucard fired at all three of the hybrids repeatedly with the Jackal. While they were busy dodging the bullets, he quickly turned and fired, shooting the needles free from the wall, but unfortunately not destroying them.

Dunstan was the first to regain composure enough to use his weapon once more. Alucard scored an explosive shot in his chest, which stalled him for a moment until his healing ability kicked in. He used his whip to this time ensnare the hand that clasped the Jackal. It had the same effect as the thread and with ease Dunstan pulled Alucard's wrist downward. He was surprisingly strong for a half-blooded vampire.

Nogah came in to help. He telekinetically lifted his hand upward, and the needles rose from the floor. As Alucard was busy fighting Dunstan, he had the needles swiftly fly back to their quarry and wrap around him, entangling him in the deadly thread and pinning his arms to his sides. Dunstan took this time to pull Alucard's hand clean off his wrist with the use of his whip, taking a great amount of glee in seeing it come off and flop to the ground in a bloody heap.

"I'm not impressed, considering my brothers can beat you without my help," Reine said, examining her nails passively. Alucard glared up at her, but not in anger, more like a lunatic would. It unsettled her, but she didn't let it show. She flipped the flute around in one hand and made an insane, cruel smile of her own. "Now it's my turn to have some fun." With that she began playing the flute.

It started off, low and soft, but soon grew into the haunting, shrill tune that it was. She and the other hybrids stood there, unaffected, but Alucard felt a sudden pain in his skull he didn't think was possible, practically torturous. It came as a shock because he hadn't felt such pain in years, not since the days of Abraham Van Helsing. Whatever these weapons were, they were strong with dark magic and witchcraft.

But, as Alucard had said more than once, it took a man to kill a monster.

"Approval recognized. Commencing the Cromwell Invocation. Releasing Restriction Seals Two…One… Releasing Control Art Restriction Systems to Level Four."

"Nogah, do you have a clue what he's babbling on about?" asked Dunstan. Nogah shook his head 'no'. Reine continued playing, unfazed and thinking their opponent had merely gone insane with pain. That he would be dead soon.

If she only knew just how deeply in trouble she was.

When Alucard opened his eyes again, the shined far brighter than they had earlier, nearly flashing in his blood rage. With ease, he snapped himself free of the thread like it was nothing. He then used the abilities he gained from Schrödinger to make himself appear in two more places in the room. The trio of hybrids watched in shock for a moment before they finally got enough sense to put up a fight once more.

The fight was very short from there. And Alucard savored every scream that was made, almost every drop of blood he spilt.

He saved the still dripping with blood, decapitated head of Nogah, wanting to show it to his prisoner. Dying to see what reaction she would take to her "rescuers" having been slaughtered.

As soon as he pushed open the door for the second time and began descending down to the lower level, he knew something was wrong; he smelled the overpowering scent of fresh blood. Which was odd because he was certain he had removed the girl of all weapons while she was unconscious and that there was nothing she could cut herself with down there. _What could she be doing?_ Alucard questioned as his eyes narrowed. He swiftly moved down the steps.

The candle had burned out earlier, but with he could still see clearly. What he saw mildly surprised him.

Alaina had removed her helmet now, so all of her hair, parts of it clamped together with sweat and dried blood, was visible. She still sat curled up, knees drawn in front of her, and one hand tugged tightly to her hair, as if she was afraid of losing her mind. Her vampiric appearance had returned, and her eyes seemed distant and hungry, yet focused at the same time. What was startling was that she hand the lower half of her free arm in her mouth, the sleeve rolled up to the elbow. She was biting into it and draining her own blood from the wound that tried to heal all the while. Her fluid sprinkled down to her hand, off of her finger tips, and to the floor. On top of all this, she was crying silent tears of thinned-out blood- a mix between the thick, crimson liquid and water- that only added to her look of madness.

Like lightning, Alucard dashed to Alaina, yanked her arm out of her mouth, gripping it painfully as he pulled her to her feet and stared her down, "If I had known you were pathetic enough to attempt suicide, I would have killed you before now." he practically growled at her.

Alaina felt his red eyes bore through hers and down into her soul. Her arm, now free of the burden of her fangs, healed completely, as if nothing had happened. She had done this many times before in her existence, however, feelings of shame still washed over her like a wave for having to resort to it in the first place. Rather than showing anymore of her pain, she snapped at him, "I was hungry, but I can control myself just fine!"

Alucard released his hold and shoved her into the wall, "From what I saw, it didn't look like you could in the least. I've seen fledglings with more self-control than you." Finally, he noticed the red tears streaming down her face. Whatever hatred towards him reflected in her eyes, the hurt from her own actions and being caught in them was evident.

They had each other at a standstill for a while, glaring at one another. Alaina was the first to break away their eye contact, looking down, loathing him and disgusted with herself. "No one else seemed to care whether or not I drank my own blood," she muttered. She repeated something in a quieter tone, "I was just hungry…"

Her voice made it sound like she really did feel that she wasn't doing anything wrong by drinking her own blood. Like a child's, if they steal a treat before supper and then are chided by their parents for it. It was this innocent tone that made Alucard want to take a step back. Perhaps, she really didn't know any better. Even if could control herself from drinking herself dry, there was still a big risk in her actions.

"Explain yourself," Alucard stated, not allowing her to dissuade him. She didn't answer at first, so he added, "And I know about Mother and the other insects that are your kin, if they are involved in this." He leveled the Jackal to her shoulder, pressing the barrel down hard.

It took a slap in the face and another jab with the gun to get her to start talking, "When I was little, we were taught how to capture and kill, taught how to hunt for food and have a lust for blood," she looked down, avoiding his gaze, "When we were really young, before puberty, we were sent out as lures for the other, stronger and older hybrids. People might try to kidnap us as we walked alone, or try to trick us so they could…satisfy themselves, but we never gave them the chance; the others would make the kill before the humans even had any idea what happened. I was ok with everything then; we would do anything to please Mother. We felt we were doing right by feeding her the corpses these people, especially so since they had tried to take us…" Her voice drifted, and her eyes took on that distant look again, "In return, we earned the right of her love and to feed as well.

"Then, as we grew older and our bodies began maturing during adolescence, we were able to watch the other young brothers and sisters set the traps as we went in for the kills. Foolish young men and women, innocent people wooed by the others, were tricked into our reach. When I turned sixteen, it was my turn to charm and slaughter…

Was it Alucard's imagination, or did she seem to cry harder during the next few statements? "…He was a handsome man, two years older than I, well built, and being a low-paid, traveling musician trying to make his way to fame, he wasn't well known amongst others; a perfect candidate to hunt. I took my chance of opportunity to prove my worth and bring back fresh meat to my family after one of his concerts. I flirted as I had been instructed to do, but gained no favor with him, just a sly smirk and a, 'Nice try, but I'm not that kind of man, sweetheart.' He told me if I wanted him, I would need to quit the act.

"I pursued him relentlessly, determined to get him as a matter of pride. When he didn't know it, I would follow; learning everything I could about what my target fancied. The next time I approached him, I acted casual, friendly, and a little flirtatious. He treated me to a burger, allowing a "first date", and spoke with me as a companion. Anytime I seemed too fake, he would warn me he would take his leave.

"Never did he compliment me on my hair, my clothing, my figure; only my actions, talents, and thoughts. He seemed to search on a deeper level than that. If I ever shared something real about me with him, he would gratefully return the kindness…

"Then, finally, came the day where he kissed me and professed his love. What was the surprise was that I-I returned it. He wasn't like the men before, that would attempt at rape or murder," Alaina made a choking sound, "I tried talking to my sisters, to help me understand this. They said it was childish fancy; that men only sought beauty and nothing less, that he was exactly the same as the rest and was lying to me, and now that I had this one in my grasp, it was time to finish what I had started."

"I-I led him back home, and he came willingly…trustfully… I won't forget the look he gave me when I showed him to Mother... I was told to make the kill, and when I couldn't, Mother did. I recall someone holding me by my arm in case I tried to save him…All I could do was stare in horror…

"I didn't eat that night, knowing who would be on the menu. I stayed in isolation for days. When they ordered me to return to the hunt, I refused, and was punished by not being allowed to eat and slowly starve. I got a small cut one day, during my hunger…That's when I found it tasted just as good as any other blood. Best of all, it was mine to have.

"When I did hunt again, it was never humans, never the innocent. I brought in animals from the woods. It was frowned upon, but food was food. However, there were still days they refused to let me eat, in attempt to turn me back to murder. I would then just turn to my own blood to feed. I left home as soon as I good, wanting to forget all I had grown up to become. I tried to fit in with the human world, but it was never easy.

"Other hybrids before me had left to start their own lives somewhere else- including other countries- and find new hunting grounds, making our kills seem random and not leaving much room for suspicion on who we were and where from. My family kept contact with me, expecting this and thinking I was doing what was wished of me. To keep up the ruse, I joined the SWAT team. I needed to find a way to bring back food to Mother, when and if she told me to by telepathy. Corpses of criminals that were executed became my targets, and once they were delivered, I would disappear from my kin again."

Alucard had no idea how to take this. This story seemed to be true, if her reactions were anything to go by, along with what her brothers and sister said about why they were after her. A thought went through his mind that she wasn't entirely sane, the weight of her past and the loss of her lover taking a heavy toll on her grasp of reality. Even now, she wasn't paying attention to him anymore; just staring into space and occasionally glance back to her bare arm in hunger.

He turned for a moment, returning with the head of Nogah that he had dropped in his haste. That grabbed her full attention. "What did you do?" she nearly shrieked.

"Your idiot kin decided to pay me a visit, and it didn't end well for any of them."

"They were the oldest and most experienced of us- nearly two hundred years old each! They were the most capable killers! If you think Mother is going to allow you to get away with killing five of her children, you're wrong! She'll be after you soon, and she won't show mercy! You'll be dead within an hour of her arrival!" Alaina yelled angrily.

"No more than you will be," Alucard replied calmly.

"What are you talking about?" Her tone was bitter.

"Apparently, your ruse didn't cover as well as you think. She wants your blood to feed from now." The irony of this amused him.

Alaina stared, dumbstruck, "You're lying!" she shouted defiantly. Still, a hint of doubt and denial wavered in her eyes, "Mother loves all of her children. She cared for me. She would never-"

Alucard backhanded her across the face, the force behind it enough to snap her head back and send her backing into the wall, "Do not accuse me of lying, you pathetic lout. If she loved you, she never would have put you at risk or let you starve. Quit deluding yourself! You don't believe me? Then drink the blood, see for yourself!" With that, he shoved the head at her.

She stared at Nogah's head in her hands, his lifeless gaze still holding the intelligence that fabricated thousands of plans and traps. To be honest, she was still hungry, but she didn't think she could do this. Not to her own brother, even though he had bullied her sometimes, but every one of her siblings did.

Finding that her need to know the truth wasn't enough of an incentive, Alucard pulled out the Jackal again and shot her in the leg, sending her falling to the floor, groaning painfully. "Do it!"

As her leg healed, Alaina worked up the nerve to spit on Alucard's boot in defiance, and was once more shot at.

They were at something of a stalemate and stayed like this for a while. Eventually, hunger and the desire to prove this man wrong, that Alaina's family did care about her, won over. She bit into the nub that was Nogah's neck, drank, and…

And nearly burst into tears from what she found out. Her entire body felt numb. Nogah's head fell out of her mouth and rolled off to a corner.

Alucard smiled devilishly upon seeing that the girl found out he was right, "Don't expect any leniency to be shown the next time I catch you doing something stupid. I still need you alive for now, and I will restrain you if I have to. Believe it or not, the position you're in _can _be more unpleasant." Alucard said. He lifted a hand to her cheek and felt her go tense as she looked up at him again. Alaina's face spoke a silent order: _Don't you dare touch me! _He smirked and continued to brush away her tears, allowing his hand to scrape against her skin slowly; a way of reminding her that she was a prisoner here and how very weak she was compared to him.

With the same glove, he wiped away the remaining blood from the second gunshot wound that was almost finished healing. Making sure she was paying attention, he licked it off and chortled, "As sweet as your blood tastes, I can see why it'd be hard for you." He flashed a toothy grin as he saw her go rigid at his words.

"I have one, final question for you, then we're leaving," Alucard continued as he turned to unlock the cell.

"Leaving?" Alaina asked. She figured this cell would also serve as her tomb.

Ignoring her, he continued, "When I first captured you, you said I had no idea what a real monster was like. Why is that?"

This had not been the type of question she had been expecting at all.

"I asked you a question, insect. Or do I need to shoot you again?"

Her voice was quiet as she spoke, "...You've tortured me. You've killed my squad, my friends, and my siblings, and I know soon you're going to kill me too. But we attacked you first. You only fought back. You've only killed the killers," she paused, "However, we, my family and I, we're some of the real monsters. And there are even some humans who are like that too. Killing and hurting others without a purpose, without need. That's why you're no monster…not compared to some of us out there…"

Alucard stood silent, stunned into it by her words. He had been called a monster for many years, had known it himself, and now…now someone was denying that claim.

It was a nice change, but the girl was an idiot to believe that. Alucard had had his share of innocent blood as well.

"Come on, we're leaving." Alucard stated, moving out of the cell. He knew Alaina would follow. She knew she had to, or she would more than likely be knocked out and dragged to wherever they were headed. Alucard collected his pistols and holstered them as Alaina tried to ignore the carnage left from the battle.

Placing one hand on his coffin and gripping tightly to Alaina's wrist with the other, Alucard envisioned a certain place that was well known to him. They were teleported there in an instant by his ability to exist wherever and however he wished.

They appeared in a dark dungeon that he might've once considered home.


	5. Chapter 5

_((__Author's Note__: This may sound stupid, but after the last chapter, I can now hear "I Can't Decide" by the Scissor Sisters playing in my head when I think of Alucard and Alaina. XD It would just seem funny to me with how they react to each other.))_

Alucard released his hold on Alaina's wrist as soon as they had appeared in the dungeon. Almost just as quickly, alarms began to ring out throughout the chamber. Lights built into the walls flashed on, painful to Alaina's eyes, as they had adjusted too well to the darkness.

"**Attention all personnel: Intruders spotted in the lower levels. Intruders are to be found and taken for interrogation on site. Kill by necessity,"** boomed a robotic voice overhead.

As her eyes adjusted to the lighting, she noticed that the stone room was sparsely furnished. There was a throne-like chair made of a dark wood and velvet, centered horizontally and sitting toward the farthest wall. A small, rectangular table with a white cloth on top sat beside it. On the opposite end was a high stairwell made of stone. She could just make out more light pouring through some opening at the top when she recognized multiple figures of armed men coming through it and racing down the steps.

Another figure, this time a woman, jumped down the stairs and past the men, landing gracefully in front of them. She carried a large, Anti-Midian Cannon against one shoulder as if it were a toy. Her hair was short and somewhat messy, dirty-blonde in color. She wore some kind of dark red uniform over her well developed figure.

Alaina felt more trapped than ever as she saw that the woman's eyes were the same shade as her capture's.

Upon seeing Alucard, Seras' face brightened. She quickly gestured for everyone to stand down and, dropping her weapon, raced to the pair. "Master!" she practically squealed. It took a certain amount of self-control in order not to smother him in a hug. She had missed him since he had left for what she thought was for good, considering Integra's passing.

Alucard smirked and patted her on the head, nearly like someone would an affectionate pet. "It's good to see you once more too, police girl."

Seras held her smile until she spotted Alaina, who was currently keeping her head down, sometimes glancing around to search for a sign of escape. This was strange for Alucard to find a companion or to take someone alive, especially someone with the slightly defeated, yet unrelenting look she carried. Once she spotted her one red eye, however, and Seras knew she had to be of some importance.

"Who are you?" she asked Alaina, her tone curious.

Alucard answered for her, "A prisoner," he stated flatly, "I'll explain later."

"Does that mean you're here to stay?" She asked hopefully after taking another look at Alaina.

"No, I have just come to deliver information that you might find useful in the event that you happen to spot a member of her kind. The girl is a hybrid," he looked at Alaina wanting his insult to sink in, "A freak of nature, born with both vampire and human genes. Once I have said all I know, I will take my leave. I have my own mission to accomplish."

Alaina scowled at him, but said nothing.

Seras nodded. She would just have to accept this answer until he wanted to tell her more. "Shall I put her in one of the holding cells then, Master?"

"No. I'm taking her with me. And when we travel, I can't have her looking like she has just been on a battlefield. Her uniform will also be a dead give-away to any simple minded fools who might raise questions and halt our progress. Take her to one of the upstairs rooms so she may make herself look somewhat decent." He walked over to the chair and sat down. "In the meantime, send someone to bring down a glass of wine and a pint of blood."

Seras bowed her head in respect before taking Alaina by the upper arm to lead her upstairs, "Yes Master." As she left, she nodded to one of the soldiers, as an order for him to be the one to gather the items Alucard requested and bring them to him.

The soldier glanced back at Alucard and felt the hairs on his neck stand up. Why him?

Seras and Alaina didn't speak to each other for a long while, which suited both of them just fine. Seras continued wondering what reason there was for Alucard to have to keep her alive. For information maybe? If so, it wouldn't be extracted from her kindly.

Alucard rarely, if ever at all, showed mercy.

Still, Seras had a flicker of hope that there was some good in him. Had he not saved her so many years ago? Helped her reach her full potential? Reminded her to keep fighting even when facing impossible odds? It was unlikely, but maybe his kinder side had been what had saved this girl from a painful death. If so, then maybe, just maybe, she had a gentler side to her as well that had yet to be introduced.

"You're a true vampire too, right? Like him?" Alaina finally asked, breaking the silence but never looking away from the direction they were headed.

"Uh-huh," Seras said.

"You don't act like him."

The statement caught her slightly by surprise, "What makes you think that?"

"The way you're talking to me now, for starters," Alaina answered with a shrug. She didn't say any more than that though.

"How come you haven't tried to escape yet then, if I'm not like him? You're not being restrained or anything. Do you not have enough confidence to think you could make it?"

Alaina smirked, "I don't know what you've been through, but believe me, I've had enough experience over the years to know that there are some situations you can never 'escape'," her smirk faded as she added, "no matter how much you run and hide…"

Seras could tell that those last words were not directed at her anymore, and instinct nagged at her that they meant more than just the circumstance Alaina was in now. However, she couldn't add further comment as they reached their destination.

The door to the room, like the others-including the gates, was modified to be opened by a keycard. That way it was easier to see when people were moving on and off the premises. It also made it easier to see if someone had entered without checking in, who might by a trespasser. There were multiple upgrades given to security and other sections of the organization that current technology had allowed to be provided. Swiping her card and typing in a code, the door swooshed open upward, and Seras lead Alaina inside.

The room itself was very modern. It hadn't been used in a while, and only used for boarding people for a short time. The room had a simplistic bed and dresser. On top of the dresser was a vase of withered roses, left there by the previous occupant. There was a small bathroom that connected to the room.

"This is it. I'll come to collect you when Alucard needs you again."

Alaina simply nodded. Her eyes held that distant look again.

As if reading her thoughts, Seras offered kindly, "Are you hungry?"

When she did answer, it was in a faint whisper that was preceded by a soft intake of breath, "Just a little, but I'm fine…Thank you…"

"Ok then, but I'm checking up on you in a few hours." She then left and sealed the door closed behind her, locking their 'guest' in. She contacted you the nearest soldier to guard the door while she was away.

There was still much business to attend to.

Several minutes later, Alaina willed her feet to move away from where she was standing and headed into the bathroom, getting a warm bath started. She would take her sweet time while this small retreat from nightmares lasted. She took down the pony tail as she stepped in, watching her hair float around in the water, scrubbing herself free of grime and blood, and making small ripples and waves with her fingers. She stayed like this for a while, until the water finally got cold.

After drying herself, her hair now flowing down her back in lovely waves, she went to the dresser to find something to wear. If it weren't for the condition of her uniform, she would've worn it just to spite Alucard, a small form of rebellion against him in its own right. She managed to find something suitable to put on, although it was a little too eccentric for her taste.

A parchment colored blouse that left her shoulders bare, with translucent sleeves that ended a little past the elbows and had lace there and at the hem above her chest. A crimson colored vest overtop it, with a black border on both the top and bottom hems, a black, velvet string tightening it around her form at the front. The skirt, leggings, and boots were also all solid black. The skirt ended just above her knees in the front, then just below in the back. She set a matching cloak aside in case she got cold. The outfit was cute- it had a delicate, yet aged look, but also left room for mobility and comfort.

Alaina's attention turned to the vase of wilted roses. She approached them, and carefully, as if not to break a single, shriveled petal, she cupped one of the flowers in one hand. It was perfectly preserved, still holding on to its magnificent beauty even through death. She picked the rose up and gave it a light sniff. It smelled of slight decay, but this was…different. There was no real way to describe it.

She hoped to remember the roses when the time came when her usefulness had run out; something pretty to think of as she was drawn into the embrace of death.

She laid down pleasantly, relaxingly on the bed. One hand held the rose across her chest, moving one finger down its stem. The other hand rubbed against the soft, smooth fabric of the sheets. It was soothing. It was peaceful.

She released the hold she had on her mind and enjoyed the calm. Her eyes fluttered shut. There was no fear in losing herself, not in a moment like this.

It would all end soon anyway, once she was needed again.

Seras listened to what Alucard said he knew about the hybrids, recording it down for later use. He denied her offers of assistance, reminding her of her duty here at Hellsing. The two sat in a parlor together on the first floor. The night's remaining moonlight shone through the windows.

"What is to be done with the girl, Master? After you have defeated this…Mother?" Seras asked inquiringly.

"She will have served her purpose. And like the rest, she will be slaughtered," he replied, taking a sip from his glass.

"Master, she's not in her right mind, you've said so yourself. Why would you kill her? Isn't she different from the others? Hasn't she at least tried to change?" Seras asked, the questions pouring out before she could stop them. The girl may be a hybrid, and had killed before, but it didn't seem right to kill someone who was so demented to begin with.

There was a short silence as Alucard finished his drink and began to pour himself another glass, "Seras," he said, mixing the concoction of blood and wine, "do you remember the night you became a Draculina?"

The change in topic didn't make much sense to her, but she nodded, "Yes…but-"

"And you remember what I told you whenever you refused to drink?"

"…That it was my decision to become a vampire…"

"Exactly," he took another long sip, "These hybrids, however, are another thing entirely. Unlike us, unlike those from the Last Battalion, even unlike the virgins who are turned by other vampires, they are born into the Night. They had no choice but to accept it. They have no choice but to walk the earth as slaves to their thirst. It's the only meaning they know to their existence, because they've never known any other life outside of it. In that regard, their more like ghouls, and they'll be finished off as such. The hybrids are born to kill, drink, and breed, and nothing more.

"The girl is no different. Her lost mind only makes that need to fulfill her purpose that much stronger, to the point where she'll destroy herself, either by refusing it or caving into it when there is nothing left to pacify her sanity. Her trying to escape the life she once had and blend in with humans is just a way for her to dodge the inevitable, a minor setback on the consumption of her grasp of reality. It's better this way, if she dies as soon as possible. No one perishes at her hands, and she doesn't have to live that kind of life."

Seras only stared at Alucard, not knowing how to respond. She knew he was right, but still, Alaina's death seemed unnecessary. "You mean…there's no hope for her?"

Alucard looked toward the window in thought, "It's been almost ten years since she first attempted to separate herself from the others and she is still a servant to her hunger and this Mother. A small shrivel of loyalty still remains to her former ties. At another time, there might very well have been hope that she could escape this fate, gone off into hiding with her lover. After all, why would her own waste precious time, chasing after a single mishap in their lineage? There only tracking us down because they now know I'm a threat to the group as a whole. But now, no, it's too late for her."

There was another long pause. Alucard had finished his say and Seras had no further comment. Alucard finished his drink contently and stood up, "If you wish to say goodbye, now would be the appropriate time," he began to leave the room, "Once the sun has begun to set once more, we're leaving."

Seras looked down. There was no point in begging him to stay. "Goodbye, Master…"

"Goodbye, Seras," he added something as he walked out, "my beloved servant."

Seras smiled at the last statement. Some things just didn't change.

_Her feet felt as if they were trapped in the ground, refusing to budge from the earth's hold. Cries of pain, of someone begging for help, filled her ears while they also registered sounds of eager laughter behind her. Alaina couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene of the dying young man who had been the only one she knew that had treated her with true, unbreakable compassion, of Mother ripping him apart with her lust for blood. Tears streamed down her face, but other than that, no sign of any emotion save emptiness showed. _

_Someone's nails dug into her arm, holding her in case she tried to intervene. Then, his eyes turned to hers, confusion and hurt visible in them. He was finally seeing her for what she was; a demon, a killer, a monster._ _They held that gaze for who knows how long. There was something else in his eyes that spoke to her, desperately trying to carry on a message, but her mind had already fled, and the horror of the moment refused to tell her what they were trying to say. She only knew that whatever it was, it caused her knees to buckle out from under her, and she fell to the cold, solid earth. Her own cries of pain, of her heart shattering to dust, joined the chorus of despair. _

_Once it was over, and her kin had rushed to feed on what remained of the corpse, she felt the hold on her arm leave her. Someone walked in front of her, and pulled her unwilling body to its feet. It was limp and unfeeling as the person wrapped their arms around her and ran their fingers through her hair._

"_My Alaina, my child, why do you cry for that which is prey? You know, as I know, that whatever thoughts you have imagined of romance are just childish fancies. He was like the others that you have not shed tears over. And even if, by impossible chance, there was love in his heart, where would it be once he discovered your true form?" Mother said calmly, as in control as ever, "But I love you, and you are safe with us. _

"_Rejoice at your victory. Rejoice at your catch. Join your siblings in feeding on the kill which is yours."_

_Alaina pushed herself away from Mother. Looking up at her face, Alaina couldn't ignore the bloodthirsty and cold expression she possessed._

_Something new happened to the memory after that though. Instead of her running off, away from the scene, Alaina stood there glaring in hatred. Her mother grinned, allowing her fangs to show, and then prepared to strike. _

Alaina's eyes suddenly opened, and she sat up with a low hiss. She saw that Alucard was there, sitting on the end of the bed, wearing his glasses and hat once more, unfazed by her sudden awakening and threat. He was holding the wilted rose she had had in her hands before falling asleep. "Good, your up," he said flatly. How long had he been there?

Alucard examined her as she spat out bitterly, "What do you want?"

"As of now, your full cooperation, which can be gained the easy way or the hard way. You're going to lead me to whatever hideouts your insect kin may reside in, and lead me to Mother."

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away, "They may very well want me dead, but so do you. Once you're done with me, finished with having me watch everyone else I've known all my life die, you'll dispose of me like trash. I will not help them by trying to fight you, not anymore, but I will not help you either. You are no villain, but you are no angel either."

Alucard slapped her across the face, leaving a red mark. She glared at him in anger as she watched him stand up, "The hard way it is then. But before your punishment is carried out any further, it's only fair to warn you of what can happen if you still refuse to tell me anything. You talked earlier of how you didn't wish to harm the innocent, meanwhile, more and more innocent lives are being taken as your kind still lives. They must die in order to save those people." He was trying to work on her sympathies now. That was the quickest- although not the most entertaining- way to get her to talk. It was working. He had her full attention. "If you wish to help them, you have to help me. It's time to make up for the wrongs you've done in the past. You cannot run from it, but you can seek out justice. "

There was no reply. She just stared at him, as if waiting for him to say more. Alucard turned to leave and fade back through the door. He paused in his stride to glance at her one more time before going to sleep. "You foolish, little insect: You can avoid a lot of trouble for yourself and for others if you merely do as you're told. Think on it." He tossed her back the dried flower, which landed right in front of her on the bed.

_((__Author's Note__: If you're wondering what exactly Alaina's outfit looks like, I dressed up as what she would look like in this chapter and so forth for Halloween. I uploaded a few images on DeviantART. Here is the link:_

_ #/d5jrh61 ))_


	6. Chapter 6

Alaina ate hungrily, diving into the bowl of warm broth she had been given and occasionally dunking the dry chunk of bread into it and biting down. Her glass of water lay untouched beside her unused spoon on top of the dresser. Seras sat on top of the bed, watching her stand there, devouring the meager meal, with something resembling pity. How could someone so broken be such a murderous being?

That feeling only grew as she watched her drain her glass and then proceed to, literally, lick the bowl clean. The words slipped out before she could stop them, "I wish I could give you more, but Alucard said you aren't to be 'pampered'."

Alaina nodded solemnly before sitting down by her. Alaina, admittedly, found that she didn't hate Seras. Seras was genuinely kind to her, even though she was one of the ones keeping her prisoner. She acted as Alaina had imagined a real sister might- at least somewhat- deep down in the fantasies she cradled in order to cope with the bitter reality of her life. Meanwhile, if her actual sisters meant to show their "love" to Alaina, it was never without a painful reminder of who was eldest, smartest, prettiest, or who pleased Mother more.

Still, this upset Alaina more. "How on earth did you wind up falling in love with somebody like him when you're not like that at all?" she voiced without really thinking.

The question made Seras sputter. To be certain Alaina was referring to the person she thought it was, she asked, "Do you mean my master?"

Alaina nodded again, with a look that said, 'Of course that's what I meant.' Seras nearly burst out laughing, which only made Alaina look even more confused. "What?"

Once she had regained control of herself, Seras spoke up, "I'm not in love with Alucard. I mean, yes, I care about him, truly, but it's not like that at all. I'm not even sure where we stand. Besides," she turned her heard away and looked to the floor, "I'm already in love with someone."

Alaina was intrigued. And the fact that she had never officially experienced girl talk only added to her curiosity, "Who?"

"He's not here anymore, not psychically anyway," said Seras, her thoughts drifting to the memory Pip and her voice saddening slightly, "In fact, it's been a long time since he was with us." Her hand subconsciously moved to her heart.

"I'm sorry…" Alaina said, feeling bad about bringing it up, "I know how that is…"

Seras shrugged, than figured she'd go ahead and tell Alaina about Pip anyway, along with the story behind her and Alucard, right from when they met and she had been turned into a Draculina. It didn't hurt anything anyway. Once she was finished, Alaina only looked more confused than ever. The story didn't seem to fit together with what she had seen and experienced.

"You make him sound like some sort of heroic angel," she finally muttered under her breath.

Seras chortled, "Maybe a dark, fallen angel. What can I say, he's hard to come across as anything even remotely friendly, but he has some good to him. Even I was terrified of him at first, and it took forever for me to get over that, but now…I don't know. He's all I've really got left and, despite how he might seem, I believe he really does care about me."

After seeing the dramatic change between how Alucard treated herself and her siblings, and then Seras, there was no doubt of it that some connection was between him and the latter. "I think he does too," she added positively, just in case Seras doubted it. Alaina would not let her suffer the same feelings of loneliness and pointlessness that she herself felt.

Seras, smiled, all points of her fangs showing, "Thanks…You know, for a hybrid, you're not so bad." She stood up, "And despite everything, I hope you make the right choice. Even if you don't live through this, you'll have done a good thing." To Alaina's shock, Sera's leaned down and hugged her, "I'd miss you a little anyway. I think there might be some good in you too." With that, she left.

Alaina leaned back on the covers and shut her eyes, knowing soon they would be leaving and she would need to make a decision. Since Seras believed it was right thing to do, maybe she should let her stubborn attitude slide. On his side or not, Seras seemed to be the only one she could actually trust anyway, at least a little. _I don't want to die though… _she thought, and then realized what a petty thing that was, especially so if it meant losing more lives in the process.

Soon, she could hear footsteps coming down the hall outside. Making a last minute decision, she took her cloak, plucked a dead rose from the vase and carefully folded it into the garment, wanting to keep it with her. Maybe it would give her some hope and happiness during the gruesome journey.

Not a second after she had it safe and well hidden in the cloth, Alucard opened the door and walked up to her threateningly. "It's time to go," he began gruffly shoving her toward the door before abruptly, painfully gripping her wrist and leading her out. Alaina clutched her balled up cloak with the concealed flower under her free arm, following with a sour expression. She was about to go along willingly with his plan, she refused to give him the satisfaction of ordering her around too. She would let him know that she was not caving into him, and was doing this only for others to be spared and for her to earn some peace of mind. As if doing this will balance out some of the crimes she had committed against humanity and would grant her the tiniest ounce of mercy in the afterlife.

The night was cloudy and cool. Fog had settled along the flat landscape. When they passed the gates of the Hellsing manor, Alucard released his grasp and turned to her, "Well, are you going to show the way to the nearest of your relative scum or do I need to find a more persuasive technique to get you to talk?"

Alaina glared up at him a moment before pointing northeast, "That way, but it will take a while to get there on foot."

"And who or what is that way?"

"…The nursery…" she admitted guiltily. Mother had chosen to have the youngest hybrids raised in a different location than where she resided. Mainly because some of them were actually descendants of her children in the event that they had been allowed to breed from their prey as well. Unfortunately, they only grew weaker the farther they strayed from Mother's own genes, so they needed to be trained to match up to the desired level of skill and thirst for blood. A couple of direct descendants would guard the nursery in the unlikely event in was found by mortals, as well as teach and raise the children until they could fulfill their duty. Those chosen descendants were often parents of at least one child inside, wanting theirs to be just as powerful as themselves. The nursery was in a location all hybrids could reach easily.

"Lead the way, filth," Alucard said nudging her in that direction. When Alaina started walking, his eyes went to the cloak she held almost protectively. It was only a few minutes later when he ordered, "wait," and yanked her around to face him, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why do you carry that if you don't even plan to wear it? Put it on if you're going to keep it, otherwise drop it."

Had she not even been hiding anything within its folds, it felt like a ridiculous order, "I'm not cold yet," she responded. Actually, it was a lie; the air was starting to cause goose bumps to appear on her bare arms.

"Put it on," he ordered once more, suspicious. When she once again refused to obey, he punched her with enough force to break her nose. She yelped as the bone shattered and her own blood drizzled into her mouth. It took just enough time to heal back to normality for her to feel every bit of the damage done. In her pain, her hands instinctively flew to her face, dropping the cloak. Alucard picked it up, revealing the rose.

He smirked when he saw it, "_This_ is what you were trying to keep? Why even bother; it's a worthless, dead thing that belongs to finish wasting away in a trash bin." He crushed it with one foot, crumbling the dried, delicate petals and snapping the thin stem. A breeze carried away some of its broken remains. "It's nothing to admire, nothing beautiful, or of value. Just like you, it's nothing but filth."

Alaina only stared down at the broken apart flower. She was taking deep breaths, as if trying to calm herself. Her faced remained neutral, but a little depressed. The lack of a reaction irritated him. Alucard shoved the cloak back at her, hard enough to cause her to stumble back and bend forward. "Get moving," he ordered.

This time, she listened, but as they walked her eyes couldn't tear away from the flower. Not until it was finally out of sight for good.

The journey was pretty long, so it was good both of them could last in the daylight as well. As days passed, Alucard's impatience grew, and he often abused Alaina to make certain she wasn't just leading him on a wild goose chase. She kept her word, but not without complaint and acted as hateful as she could be to him. As time passed, her attitude became more sullen and withdrawn. Sleep was hard for her to come by. Her eyes would dart around, as if searching for some unknown danger. Her fingers would clasp and entangle her hair. Alucard brought it up one day; not out of concern for her, but out of concern that he might be losing the only solid source of information he had and also out of the intense pleasure of there really being some danger, something to do besides wait. "Losing your mind again? Or are you walking us into a trap?"

After a moment's pause she shook her aching head 'no'.

"Then what?" his tone rose in question. His posture gave off threats and warnings, a reminder of what he could do to her if she didn't say anything.

Alaina shook her head again, this time to try and clear it, then spoke, "…She's talking to me…" she pointed to her head, "…in here…"

"Mother?" Alucard assumed with a huff. It wasn't exactly surprising, but what orders could she be giving this hybrid waste of life? She had already made it known to both of them that she wanted Alaina dead.

Alaina nodded absently.

"And?"

"…She wants me to fight…She orders me not to do this…"

Alucard chuckled, "To fight against me? And what- pray tell- what exactly would that accomplish?"

Alaina shrugged, looking down at her feet.

"Exactly; nothing. So the question is- are you going to _attempt_ to fight me, filth? Are you going to listen to her orders? Or do you just not have the strength to fight for your own life?"

She tucked her chin to her chest as she shut her eyes and shook her head 'no' once more, biting her lower lip hard enough for a small tickle of blood to ooze down before the cut healed. She reopened her eyes and glared at him, clutching her fists at her sides, but otherwise taking the insults.

Alucard leaned forward and in turn, Alaina took a cautious step back. Swiftly, he gripped her arm before she could move away any further, twisted it behind her head painfully, and inched her closer. Chortling at her futile attempt to break his hold, he leaned down again and whispered, "Good; I'm glad to know you're not a _total_ idiot, even _if _you're a coward. And as a reward," with his free hand, he took her chin and forced her to face him, noses centimeters apart, "I think I'll save you for last."

Alaina's muscles tightened and she shivered from fear, but she did her best not to let it show. Alucard allowed all razor-sharp tips of his fangs to show as he laughed; not failing to notice her terror at being trapped like this, knowing death awaited her soon after seeing her so called family slaughtered by his hand, knowing she played a part in ending their lives. He enjoyed it a moment longer before releasing her and shoving her away- a sign to keep going.

After shooting another evil look in his direction, Alaina did as told. All the while she tried to ignore the repeating words of "traitor", "worthless", and "pathetic" bouncing around her skull due to Mother's telepathy. Failing in that, he lower lip trembled some.

There was no one she could turn to, and no going back now.

…

"That's it?" Alucard asked, almost disappointingly, his mouth curling back in a sneer. They had finally reached the nursery. However, it merely appeared to be a run down, abandoned shack in the middle of the woods. The metal walls and ceiling had patches where rust had accumulated over the years. Dead leaves and vines scaled the sides of it. There was a hole in the top of the roof that had never been patched up.

Alaina gave made some soft noise before replying, "That's it."

"Charming," he muttered sarcastically. He began stepping toward it, his pistols half-drawn.

A sudden shot, an explosive projectile, came from nowhere. Alucard was able to quickly dodge it. Alaina was far enough back that it missed, but the force of it sent her sliding backwards, her arms in front of her face to block incoming debris. The dark magic used to create the weapon was powerful enough to rot away the grass within a fifteen yard radius at most. Alaina had to quickly jump up and hand on to a tree branch in order for the dark magic not to affect her.

In the moonlight, a figure stepped out of the shadows. It was a female hybrid. The woman had shining, silver hair with dark, natural highlights in a pixie cut. Her skin was pale as snow. Her face held no trace of make-up, yet her eyes still popped out; one a deep midnight blue. Her outfit was entirely jet black, and her spiked combat boots came up past her knees. She had a spiked collar around her neck to match as well. She wore a pair of extremely skimpy shorts, a tank, and a leather motorcycle jacket that had been cut short so that the bottom seam, which stopped at end of her rib cage, appeared torn and ripped apart. A large rocket launcher was slung across her shoulders.

A high-pitched giggle pierced the air before a second figure leaped up and over the nursery, landing with graceful silence upon the earth. This hybrid looked exactly like the first save for her hair was in a bob cut, with a section of bangs flopping over to one side and partially covering her more human like eye. Her attire was very similar to that of the first hybrid's. The difference was that this one seemed to have stepped out of Candyland. The boots were striped, looking as if they had been dipped in a rainbow and the rest of her outfit was an overbearing shade of pink. Instead of shorts, she wore a frilly skirt that had multiple layers and barely came midway to her thighs. This one carried no weapon.

The two hybrids were, in fact, twins. They had been named- in the order above- Antigone and Ismene, after two sisters from a Greek tragedy.

"Well," said Antigone with a sly smirk, "look what the cat dragged in." When her eyes fell on Alaina, they contained a definite amount of ire and hatred. "Making new friends, Alaina?"

"Cute friends," chortled Ismene with an insane grin as she stared at Alucard, "Think Mother will let us keep that one, Antigone? He looks yummy."

"Hush," she sharply barked at her twin with a tone of authority. Antigone gave her other, now treacherous younger sister a tssk of disgust, "You should've known that we'd be prepared for your betrayal. Really now, I expected better from you," her smirk returned, "Then again, you always were a lover of those human weaklings… What was that last one's name, your boyfriend's? Leon? Yes; I believe it was Leon. But you couldn't save him, could you?" Her smirk grew into a grin, "Too bad you missed out that night. His blood was rich and-"

Antigone was interrupted by a shriek of rage as Alaina pounced toward her. She would let _no one_ get away alive with speaking of Leon like that. Alucard stopped her by grabbing her hair and pulling her back once she was within arm's reach. It deterred her for only a moment, but she continued to struggle, her fragile mind focused on vengeance.

"Enough," Alucard ordered, his eyes narrowing. Had he allowed the girl to go through with her attack, she would've been too blinded by anger to notice Antigone had been prepared to fire. His voice brought Alaina somewhat back to her senses and she slowed her breathing, but she did not calm down completely. Alucard glared daggers at the twins, "If you two fools know what's best for you, you'll stand out of my way. Then maybe, _maybe, _you just might make it out of here alive."

Another harsh laugh erupted from Ismene's throat, "My, my; aren't you confident! I like that in a man!"

The first twin sighed, "Forgive Ismene's childish behavior. She takes nothing seriously. Still, that is a bold statement," she took the rocket launcher in both hands, "but can you back it up?"

Alucard smirked this time, "Why don't you find out for yourself?"

The two began to take one another on. Meanwhile, Alaina's attention went toward the still hysterical Ismene. Ismene looked up at her after she finished another laughing fit, "I guess this means you're all mine, sissy," she got into a fighting stance, "You don't know how long I've be waiting for this."

Feeling nothing but still flickering anger in her heart, Alaina just glanced over at Ismene. "Actually," she watched as her _former_ sister charged at her with wicked glee, "I think I do."

Ismene was by far the quickest and most flexible of the hybrids. That was the main reason she didn't carry weapons; she never really needed them.

But after years spent as a SWAT team soldier, Alaina had the kind of training that would give her a severe advantage. Besides, she had always been the fastest healer.

Alucard leapt into the air as another projectile struck where he had just been crouching and decimated all living matter within reach. For a while, they had been going back in forth in a game of hit and dodge with their guns. When he touched down on the ground once more, he faded into the shadows and seemed to disappear. Antigone's eyes widened in confusion, having never seen this ability before.

"Come out and play, you sneaky-" she wasn't able to finish her curse as Alucard came up from the shadows behind her and let loose a powerful kick to her spine.

She grunted from the impact, but quickly steadied herself, tucked, and rolled forward. In one swift motion, she was once more on her feet and facing her opponent. With one hand, she swung the rocket launcher at him like a baton.

Alucard allowed the strike to hit its mark; square on his left jaw. The force behind the attack snapped the lower jaw out of place with a sickening crack. Antigone made a crooked grin and lifted her weapon above her head, intending to use it to bash his skull in as well.

One of his hands shot straight up and caught the weapon by its shaft, stopping it in an instant, with mild ease. As Antigone scowled and attempted to yank it free, he slowly looked at her, giving her a perfect view of his jaw moving back in place in a mechanical fashion. Although even she had the ability for wounds such as that to heal, it was still a slightly disturbing sight. Alucard's other hand, palm outward, struck her in the chest and sent her flying into a tree trunk.

A sharp breath of air left her and she needed to place one hand on the trunk to support herself enough to stand. Still, she would not relent. Leveling the rocket launcher once more, she fired another of the dark magic projectiles at Alucard. He staggered a few steps as it hit him, his blood spurring out from all angles. Almost as soon as it struck, the dark magic began taking its toll. Flesh festered and oozed as it turned into a blackish-brown, deteriorating and putrefying as it practically melted off of his body, revealing the solid white bones underneath. His eyes rolled out of their sockets and onto the dirt. Once the flesh nearly finished decomposing, the bones themselves began to shatter, yellowing as if left to age for decades. His body fell apart in a heap. The scent of the dead was intense.

Antigone reloaded the rocket launcher and aimed once more incase her shot hadn't worked. After minute of nothing, she grinned and prepared to join Ismene in her task of killing Alaina; it seemed she was having some difficulty with getting rid of her. She stepped forward, striding toward the pair, and hopped over Alucard's remains.

A bony hand leapt from the ruins captured her ankle in a grip not even a pack of dynamite could break. Antigone jumped from shock and looked down to see Alucard's remains gradually restoring themselves into a whole being. However, he currently appeared to look like something only seen in apocalyptic films about zombies.

"Impossible…" Antigone whispered with an intake of breath, immediately regretting it as the combination of the smell and what she was witnessing unsettled her stomach.

When the hand began to drag her closer to the rest of the repairing corpse, she quickly came back to her senses and swung her weapon once more, breaking the joints between the upper and lower arm like a twig. But the hand still fastened around her, refusing to budge. For a second, it even held on tighter to the point of pain.

His body having not finished coming back together yet, Alucard unevenly faltered and swayed as he stood. He reached out his other hand and telepathically pulled the rocket launcher from her grasp. Once he felt it in his fist, he smashed it in half easily.

He waited until he had healed completely before making a move. Antigone, still held in place, didn't and couldn't go anywhere. To her ever-lasting credit though, there was not any sign of fear radiating from her, just amazement at the strong being before her.

His hair billowed in front of his face as he took Antigone by the throat and lifted her up on her toes, and then reclaimed his still hanging hand. "Playtime's over," he said in reference to her request for him to fight her directly from earlier in their battle.

To her own surprise, she found herself still smirk at him, following with a gravelly laugh. She knew she had lost, that it was all over, but no one had accused _anyone_ from Mother's line of being right in the head. Besides, she preferred it this way; dying in battle- where you can still carry a sense of honor as long as your courage held up- was better than what Mother had planned in the event that she had attempted to escape from this fight.

Mother had given them this order to face and fight Alucard. No one ever went against her orders, even if they proved fatal.

Still, there was one more matter of business Antigone wished to accomplish before the end finally came.

Somehow managing to hock up loogie, she spat it in Alucard's face, grinning brightly.

Her smile was still visible even as her lifeless body fell; a ring of fresh bite marks still bleeding from her neck.

Alucard watched Alaina and Ismene for a little while, but didn't move. The two were too consumed in their own battle to notice that Antigone and he were by far finished with theirs. Already knowing the outcome of the fight, he went on ahead to finish up the last bit of his work here, reloading his magazines.

The inside of the nursery looked much better, as well as much larger, than its exterior, although the hole in the roof still left a clear view of the cloudy sky. The concrete floor was damp, with a few blood stains permanently streaked into it, and a fire had been built in order to heat up the room. The room itself contained various mats, mattresses, cribs, blankets, and pillows, along with dirty, dingy clothing lying about in piles. Few toys were there, and the majority of the ones were were broken and ragged.

The children- ages ranging anywhere between a few months old to ten years old- had very little in common with one another save for their hybrid eyes. Alucard recognized that a few possessed similar traits as some of the hybrids he had already killed. Their outfits were mismatched and grimy, and their hair left unattended to. Even their fingernails, bitten down to size in order for them not to break, were filthy. Their attitudes were also different; some backed away and hid beneath the piles of cloth, others seemed ready to fight on instinct, their reactions having been drilled into them since birth.

Admittedly, Alucard saw no pleasure in this, but it was what had to be done. With a sigh, he tried to finish his job as quickly as he could.

Finished with her own fight, Alaina stood panting as she stared down at Ismene's corpse. No emotion-neither pain nor a sense of victory- filled the void in her soul. The sound of gunshots snapped her out of her staring, and with a heavy heart she dragged her unwilling feet to the nursery in order to confirm what was happening.

Alucard had just ended it all when she approached the open doorway. Alaina sank to her knees at the sight of her younger siblings corpses scattered about, some with their eyes open, staring blankly at the light shining through the hole in the roof. She felt too weak to move, to do anything… What had she done?

If anyone had the chance of finding a way to live another life besides this nightmare, they did. She believed no one was born evil, and the youth were amongst the purest of souls.

Alucard barely spared her a glance as he walked past her and back outside, "Come on," he said in a shockingly, almost soothingly, soft voice, "Let's go."

Alaina still did not move. Frowning, Alucard shot her in the back, but this time, there was no reaction. Her body only jerked forward for a moment before righting itself once more, the wound healing without a trace. Her mind was nothing but a blank slate, not a thought going through it to register the bullet even hitting her.

Alucard strode back over to where she kneeled. Silent tears poured down her face, but her eyes were just as empty as the corpses before them; no life, no feeling seeping from them. Perhaps now Alaina had finally been pushed over the edge; her mind lost forever.

From somewhere far beyond the walls of the nursery, Mother took full advantage of her child's broken spirit. Through telepathy, she sent Alaina one simple order; _kill him._

With that being the only thing her mind could hang on too, she did as told. As she suddenly lunged for him, her eyes burning in fury at the loss and loneliness she'd been feeling, she let out a demonic shriek that would challenge a banshee's terrorizing scream of death. Alucard was easily able to subdue her and hold her back, but she continued to claw, bite, and thrash around in his hold at any available chance she got. Her screams would not end either.

Alucard continued to call to her in attempt to bring her sanity back, but it was no use. Giving up on that, Alucard slammed her against one of the walls, her head bashing against it painfully. He repeated this until she fell limp in his arms. He checked her breathing to make certain she was still alive- he still needed her in order to find Mother- and hefted her unconscious form over one shoulder. There was a small chance she'd be alright after she had gotten some rest and time to calm down.

Alaina kept sniffling as they left the scene, her tears continuing to drip down her cheeks to only stain the back of Alucard's clothing.

_((__**Author's Note:**__ Sorry I haven't updated this in a while guys. I've been pretty busy and I wanted to make certain this chapter seemed okay. I think I need a little help though…even __**I **__don't know how I want to end the story anymore. :/ I've got the whole final scene down in my head, but it's the relationship between Alucard and Alaina that I don't know where to take anymore, as in how they relate and react to each other and how that will affect the choices they make in the end. Any thoughts or ideas?)) _


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